What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
PEG-40
HumectantHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingZinc
Antioxidant
PCA
Humectant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycine
Buffering
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Panthenol, Parfum, PEG-40, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caffeine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Zinc, PCA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Maltodextrin, Niacinamide, Glycine, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Citric Acid, BHT
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-81
CleansingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-81, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
